Provincial economic commission to be established

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 March 2003, 23:19 GMT]The United National Front government Thursday announced the establishment of economic commissions at the provincial level from next Wednesday, as stated in its last general election manifesto. Three provincial economic commissions will be first established. A business tycoon, Mr. Lalith Kotelawala, Chairman of the Seylan group of companies, will head the North Western Provincial Economic Commission and the Central Provincial Economic Commission, said Minister Mr. G.L.Peiris at a press briefing Thursday.

The chairman of the Southern Provincial Economic Commission will be Mr.Micky Wickremanayake.

According to the UNF manifesto, there will be one economic commission for the North-East province.

However, the Ministry of Power and Energy has taken steps to bring the eastern regional offices of the Ceylon Electricity Board located in Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts under the Anuradhapura regional office of the North Central Province, sources said.

The ministry concerned has ignored the protest made by the Trincomalee district parliamentarian Mr.R. Sampanthan in this regard. The main intention of the CEB is to administer the eastern CEB offices from Anuradhapura in the north central provincial office, sources said.

Mr.Sampanthan pointed out to the Minister of Power and Energy, when speaking in parliament, that it is contrary to the policy of the UNF government to transfer the administration of the CEB regional offices from Trincomalee and Batticaloa district to Anuradhapura in the north central province when a separate economic commission for the North-East province is to be established shortly, sources said. It would negate the sole intention of setting up of separate economic commission for each province, Mr.Sampanthan told the Minister.